Bottle carrier



Aug.31-,1 948. c. w. ANDERSON 2,448,20

v BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Sept. 9, 1946 I Tl c. 4?? \NVENTOR CNESTERAuomsox ATTORNEYS :one of its objects and purposes, a.

Patented Aug. 31, 1948 qum'rso S'TATE BOTTLE CARRIER. Chester W.Anderson, Grand Haven, Mich. f 1 Application September 9,1946, SerialNo.695,640

I The present invention relates to a novel, small space occupying andeconomically produced bottle carrier, with which a plurality of bottlesmay be carried, being easily applied to and released therefrom.

' Soft drinks are contained in bottles, the necks and top closures ofwhich are generally of a standard dimension. They are many times p111-chased in numbers, and with my invention, a number of them may bedetachably connected to the carrier and, suspended therefrom,transported from the place of purchase to the homeor other placeof'consumption where they may be readily released; and the bottles maybe returned after their contents have been drunk by carrying them in thesame manner. With my invention, and as practical, serviceable and sturdybottle carrier made of metal is produced having a bail-like handle bymeans of which it is carried, the handle'bein movable between -asubstantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position,said handle automatically operating the carrier to connect it:with thenecks-of bottles when it is turned from its horizontal to verticalposition; the bottles being held against detachment at all times thatthe handle is in vertical position, which position it occupies while thebottles are being carried. On turning the handle down to horizontalposition, the carrier is released from all oi. the bottlessimultaneously.

A preferable structural embodiment of the invention is described in thefollowing specification, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the bottle carrier of my inventionhaving a plurality of bottles detachably connected therewith.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the carrier between itsends.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken at one end of thecarrier in its operative position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view like handle being shown carrier in bottle engagingand and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of an end portion of thecarrier with the bail in horizontal position and the parts of thecarrier as they are located when it may be applied to bottles or theyhave been released therefrom.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figuresof the drawing.

In the construction, a flat metal plate I of a of the carrier, theballin section, and with the holding position,

. rectangular in form, is located 1 claim. (01. 224-45) generallyrectangular form, at its longitudinal side edges is turned back uponitself in U-shape bends to provide longitudinal guides 2 which extendsubstantially the full length of the plate. Said plate has a pluralityof circular openings 3 therethrough properly spaced from each other andof a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of bottle caps and ofthe necks of bottles which are to be. inserted therethrough,

A second plate 4 ofsheet metal, also generally over the first plate,having its longitudinal edge portions received within and held by the.guides 2 so that the two plates may have a longitudinal'movementrelative to each other. Said plate 4 likewise is provided withcircular'openings .5 of the same diameter as the openings 3 in the plateI, which openings in-io-ne position of the plates are in conjunction, asin Figs. .2 and 5, so that a bottle cap and the adjacent portion of theneck of a bottle may pass through both of said openings. At each end ofthe upper plate 4, flanges are turned to extend upward, .each having asection 6 which is substantially perpendicular to a lon itudinal edge ofthe plate 4 and extends from one of the guides 2 substantially to themedian longitudinal line of the plate 4, and is then extended in asection 1. The sections 6 of the two end flanges and the sections 1thereof, are respectively parallel to each other, as shown in Fig. 4.

The carrying handle for the structure is made from a single length ofwire rod, having an intermediate, horizontal hand engaging portion 8,from each end of which a leg 9 is bent at right angles, said legsextending in the same direction. Each of the legs 9 at its free endportion terminates in a horizontal pintle H3. The two pintles extendtoward each other and are parallel to the hand engaging portion 8. Saidpintles are received in journals or bearings H therefor, likewise madefrom sheet metal connected to the under plate I at each end,substantially midway between the longitudinal side edges of said underplate.

The offset of inclined sections 1 provide cams to be engaged by the legs9 of the handle for moving the upper plate 4 longitudinally with respectto the under plate I in one direction when the bail-like handle isturned from vertical to horizontal position, such horizontal positionbeing indicated in dash lines in Fig. 2; and moving the upper plate inreverse longitudinal direction to its initial position when the handleis turned from horizontal to vertical. As shown in Fig. 5, the handlebeing disposed horizontally, the openings 3 and '5 in the plates l and 4are directly alined.

A plurality of bottles having necks I2, the upper ends of which areclosed by the usual bottle caps may be inserted through said openings.For example, a number of bottles corresponding to the number of openings3 or 5 properly located with respect to each other, may have the carrierstructure applied downwardly simultaneously thereover, the caps andupper ends of the necks of the bottles, projecting above the upper sideof the upper plate 4. This is done with the handle in its horizontalposition. By moving the handle to a vertical position, the plate 4 ismoved longitudinally from the position shown in Fig. 5; to that shown inFig. 4. The leg 9 at the right hand end (Fig. 4), in the movement of thebaillike handle from horizontal to. vertical,v rides against theadjacent cam section 1, thereby moving the plate 4 so that the openings5 are moved a short distance while the openings 3 associated therewithremain stationary, and the outward bead near the upper end of the bottleneck is gripped underneath by opposing edges of the plates I and 4. atthe openings 3, and 5 therein, as. shown in Fig- 3. As long as thehandle is in itsverti'cal carrying position, the bottles are heldsecurely and may be carried by rasping the handle To release the.bottles, the bail-like handle is simply moved from vertical tohorizontal, whereupon the opposite leg 91 at the left hand end of theupper plate. 4 (Fig. 4) .will' ride against the adjacenti nclined cam.section 1. and move the upper plate back to its. initial positionwherein the openings 3 and 5 are in conjunction. The necks of thebottles are simultaneously released so that thecarrier may be detachedfrom all of them at the same time. The structure is shown adapted toconnect with the necks of six bottles, whichin general", is the standardnumber which a carrier of the structure described is designed toengage.

'Of course, a lesser number than six may have the necks thereof-insertedthrough selected openings of theplates so that any number from one 4.5

to six may be carried; and if a larger number is purchased, it merelyrequires more than one of the bottle carrier structures. The uppersurface of the plate 4 may have advertising or other material appearthereon which will be always readily seen.

The structure is very practical and useful. The space occupied by itwhen the carrying handle is disposed in horizontal posit-ion, is reducedto a minimum so that a large number of them, stacked one on the other,may be shipped with the least space occupied. The lower plate may bestrengthened and reinforced at its ends by down turned reinforcingflanges, as shown in Fig. 2.

The: invention is defined in the appended claims andisto be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

A bottle carrier comprising two superimposed plates slid-ably mountedrelative to each other, each plate having bottle neck receiving.openings adapted to be brought into alinement with each other, a carrierbail having parallel portions pivoted to the lower plate and camsformed. on therespective ends. of the uplpcrplate, said cams beingengageable with. the parallel. portions of the bailvv and shaped.,toslide the upper plate relative. to the lower plate to position to alinethe bottle receiving openings in. respective plates when the. bail isin. lower non-carrying position and to move the openings out-of fullalinement when the ball is raised to carrying position.

CHESTER W. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

